Ever dreamed of participating in a real world, yet simulated version of “The Hunger Games”? Such a fantasy is coming closer to reality, as Lions Gate is exploring the possibility of four theme parks on four different continents.

The film company first hinted they were taking this route with the franchise last November, but in an earning’s call last week, Lions Gate president Jon Feltheimer expanded on their thinking. “We’re deep into conversations with prospective partners on four continents to explore theme park attractions and other location-based entertainment opportunities,” he said via Hypable. Along with theme park expansions, the “Hunger Games” mobile games and a traveling museum are planned, with the latter scheduled to hit the road in summer 2015. Read More »

“Hunger Games” fans looking to satiate their appetite for the next film installment are in luck. The first teaser trailer for “Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” hit the web last night after debuting at Comic-Con this past Friday. While it’s only a minute long, we get first looks at Julianne Moore portraying President Alma Coin, “Game of Thrones” star Natalie Dormer as Cressida, and a lot of dark, dramatic dialogue about what our hero Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) can and cannot do in terms of the rebellion.

The clip sets the tone for the sequel to 2013’s blockbuster “Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” which left us with the visual of Katniss flying to District 13 after spearheading a massive takedown of the 75th Hunger Games. Here, she declares her intentions for the cause are nothing but pure. In other words: It’s on.

Catching fire is right — critics say the second installment of “The Hunger Games” is bigger and better than its predecessor in virtually every way, from the outstanding performances from its committed cast to its impeccable set design to a palpable sense of dread and urgency that imbues the material with more gravitas than your average blockbuster franchise. Read More »

Igniting what’s sure to be a huge weekend at the box office, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” grossed $25.25 million on its first night, according to an estimate from distributor Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.

Screenings of the movie started at 8 p.m. Thursday.

That’s 28% higher than the original “Hunger Games” on its first night in March of 2012 and one of the biggest first nights of all time, ranking behind four “Twilight” movies, the final “Harry Potter” film, and “The Dark Knight Rises.” Read More »

WEST HOLLYWOOD — Although he’s still in the midst of completing a media tour with the cast of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” actor-musician Lenny Kravitz is already gearing up to release another album, due out early next year, and prepare for a rock and roll tour of his own.

As Cinna, costumer to Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) in the dystopian “Hunger Games” films, Kravitz is never without his gold eyeliner and multiple matching earrings. He put on a very different, and less glitter infused, hat as White House butler James Holloway in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler.” Kravitz has another movie in the works opposite Christopher Walken titled “Little Rootie Tootie.”

The 49-year-old rocker, reclining on a white sofa in the Mondrian, talked with Speakeasy about his various projects, his quiet performance as Cinna, and how rock stars walk. Read More »

Tonight and all throughout the weekend, millions of moviegoers will stand in lines so they can be among the first to see “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” the second movie in “The Hunger Games” franchise. They will take their seats, the lights will dim, and no one will be wearing 3-D glasses.

All of the box office analysts Speakeasy spoke to said that they expect “Catching Fire” to come up short of “The Avengers” all-time opening weekend box office record of $207.4 million. But “The Avengers” was in 3-D (such movies charge a premium for seats). Every analyst Speakeasy consulted said that they expect “Catching Fire” to be the biggest 2-D movie of all time. The current 2-D champ is “The Dark Knight Rises,” which pulled in $160.8 million its opening weekend in 2012. Read More »

When costume designer Trish Summerville landed on the set of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” she was nervous.

Summerville, director Francis Lawrence, and cinematographer Jo Willems had recently joined the franchise. “We were the newbies. We had a lot of conversations about the heightened look we were going for, a darker palette, a more grown up feeling. Everything needed to be more intense, more on the edge,” Summerville said.

Suzanne Collins‘s “The Hunger Games” trilogy, the basis for the film series, tells the story of a dystopian future in which a corrupt Capitol rules over surrounding districts, and forces them annually to send young people from their regions to participate in a bloody gladiatorial contest. Read More »

A new play starring Amanda Peet and Sarah Jessica Parker opening Thursday at the Manhattan Theatre Club, Steve Coogan in a serious movie role and Anne Lamott’s “handbook on meaning, hope and repair” are on Marshall Heyman’s agenda.

‘HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE’ and ‘INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS’ Who says the movie soundtrack is dead? The first “Hunger Games” soundtrack featured Taylor Swift, Arcade Fire, the Decemberists and the Civil Wars. Its sequel—paired with the film release next Friday—includes tracks from Coldplay, Sia, the National, the Lumineers, Ellie Goulding and a nice cover of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Lorde. As for “Inside Llewyn Davis,” paired with the coming release by the Coen Brothers, we’ve been listening to its soundtrack on repeat. It’s perfectly melancholy, meditative folk. Read More »

About Speakeasy

Speakeasy is a blog covering media, entertainment, celebrity and the arts. The publication is produced by Barbara Chai and Jonathan Welsh with contributions from the Wall Street Journal staff and others. Write to us at speakeasy@wsj.com or follow us on Twitter at @WSJSpeakeasy or individually @barbarachai.